The Best Gifts [Paperback]

Marsha Skrypuch (Author), Halina Below (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

The Best Gifts is a gentle story for children introducing breastfeeding as a nurturing and natural part of family life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The beautifully-colored nursing illustrations in The Best Gifts convey loving warmth and closeness of the mother-child . . .It is a gentle reminder for parents and children alike that love and time are more importantthan any thing that money can buy." - New Beginnings magazine

" . . . a lovely story . . . beautifully illustrated." - Breastfeeding Today newsletter --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Marsha Skrypuch is the author of many books for children, including Silver Threads, The Best Gifts, Enough, The Hunger and Hope's War. Among the numerous writing awards won her novel about the Armenian genocide, Nobody's Child, was nominated for the Red Maple Award, the Alberta Rocky Mountain Book Award, the B.C. Stellar Award; and it was listed by Resource Links as a Best Book.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Fitzhenry and Whiteside; 1 edition (October 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550413856
• ISBN-13: 978-1550413854
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,490,122 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marsha Skrypuch is the author of many books for children and young adults. She has written more novels about the Armenian genocide than any other author in the English speaking world, yet she is not Armenian. "I write about people who must give up everything that is dear to them and travel to a new country. To me, these people are heroic."

Marsha tricked her teachers into thinking she knew how to read until it all caught up with her in grade 4 when she failed the provincial reading exam. Adding insult to injury, they made her repeat the year. As the tallest and oldest kid in the class, she didn't want to be seen learning to read with little skinny books and she was too proud to ask for help, so she taught herself how to read by taking out the fattest book in the children's section of the Brantford Public Library -- Oliver Twist. She kept on renewing it for a whole year. Reading that book was a turning point in her life. She decided that she loved reading, and wanted to write too.

Marsha loves speaking with students of all ages, especially those who are struggling academically or who feel "different".

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful message, beautiful story, beautiful illustrations, August 19, 2003

By 

christinemm - The Thinking Mother (Houston Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Best Gifts (Paperback)

We meet baby Sara soon after her birth. Friends and family are visiting her parents and giving presents to the newborn baby. After they leave Sara's mother nurses the baby. We see tidbits of Sara's life as she grows into adulthood, her graduation from school, her wedding. Later when Sara gives birth to her baby boy, she is showered with gifts from friends and family. When alone with the baby, she nurses her newborn while Sara ponders that "the best gifts can never be bought".

I loved the theme that breastfeeding is one of the best gifts that a baby can receive. The book is written in a sweet style. The illustrations are pretty, in pastel tones.

It is difficult to find picture books for children that portray breastfeeding; this is a nice book to fit that niche. The two babies in the book are nursed as newborns, there is no mention of when they stopped; it does not address nursing to a certain age or anything. There are no bottles portrayed in this book.

My complaint is that the two nursing scenes occur when the mother is in a nightgown, which reinforces some people's opinion that nursing mothers must be in their nightgowns all the time in order to nurse or that they must always stay at home to nurse. Additionally the mother chooses to button her nightgown from the top down, exposing her chest..., which perpetuates another notion that in order to breastfeed the mother must completely expose herself. Please realize that nursing can be done with real clothes on, in a discreet manner that leaves the mother covered for both her own comfort and for the comfort of others. Nursing can be done at any time of the day and anywhere, in public or private, in a more discreet manner than is portrayed in this book. (See the cover illustration for an idea of how the nursing scene is illustrated throughout this book.)

Despite my issues I still rate this as 5 stars for the quality of the writing, the quality of the illustration, and the wonderful message that this book communicates.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exquisite presentation of the best gift's in life, April 28, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Whitestone, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best Gifts (Hardcover)

An exquisitely told and beautifully illustrated story that begins with Sara, enveloped in her parents' love, as she breastfeeds, and ends with Sara's son Sam, surrounded by the same love, as he drinks from his mother's breast. The lavender hues in the illustrations emphasize the light scent of lavender present throughout the story--the reader can almost smell this gentle scent that is symbolic of the depth and warmth of mother's milk and the warmth of the love that pervades the story. The author beautifully demonstrates that breastfeeding is a natural and precious part of life, not to be hidden in bathrooms and bedrooms. But there is more--Sara's life is followed from her birth to her fifth birthday, her graduation from school, her wedding, and the birth of her child. On each occasion family and friends gather to celebrate and bring gifts that are joyfully accepted. But, after these gifts are put away, the best gift is given--parental love that is deep and constant. This is a book for both children and parents. It makes a fine bedtime read-aloud. The brief bibliography of books for breastfeeding moms and the list of breastfeeding organizations adds to the value of the book for new and expectant mothers.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is fantastic!, April 5, 2001

By 

David Obeid (NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best Gifts (Paperback)

The Best Gifts is undoubtably the best childrens book I have ever read. The beautiful watercolors depict a woman breastfeeding her child- a very refreshing change to the usual bottle fed infants shown in books. A wonderful book for those who want to clearly give their children the message that breast isn't just best- its normal!